1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to SIDS detection apparatus and methods and, more particularly, to monitoring the breathing of an infant through the use of an optical fiber that is in mechanical connection with an infant's chest and/or body and which shows a change of transmission when moved by respiratory chest movements.
2. Description of the Background Art
Sudden infant death syndrome, commonly called SIDS, also referred to as "cot death," is a sudden central respiratory arrest of still unknown origin. It represents a threat to virtually all infants in their first year of life. It has a mortality average rate of about 2 per 1000 ranging from 0.1 per 1,000 in Hong Kong to 5 per 1,000 in New Zealand (Deutsches Arzteblatt 88, Heft 48, 28.11.1991). Therefore, it accounts for almost half of all deaths between the 2nd and 12th month of life. The reasons for the differences are again still unknown.
There are no pathological findings in the post-mortem examinations of the infants who die from SIDS. Furthermore, it is not possible to locate infants who are in particular danger. Striking correlations are the following: abdominal position, premature infants with muscular hypotonia, insufficient prenatal care, mothers with nicotine consumption during pregnancy, temperature of the infant's sleeping room, (Geburtshilfe und Frauenheilkunde 51, 1991,993).
In order to avoid the sudden infant death syndrome, there is only the uninterrupted long-term supervision of the infant in the dangerous time span between the 2nd and 12th month of life. Different approaches known from the state of the art include movement sensors which sense respiratory and/or cardiac actions, ECG-devices, impedance-pneumographs, induction plethysmographs, pulse oximeters, and the like.
Typical devices and methods found in the prior art are those disclosed in magazines and books of biomedicine or medical technology. The sensor-principles of devices available on the market are well known today. Innovations are usually related to artefact suppression.
Wherever chest electrodes are used, there is always the problem of electrical disconnection involved, leading to false alarms which frighten the parents or nurses as long as they are sensitive to the alarms. After a while those persons get less sensitive, which leads to an inflation of the alarm value.
Major problems occurring in all conventional monitoring processes are false alarms. False positive alarms (the device gives alarm while the infant is breathing normally), are triggered by sensors which lose contact, by disconnected cables and so on. False negative alarms (the device does not give alarm while the infant stopped breathing) come from devices whose alarm function has been switched off (reason false positive alarms) or because the sensitivity of the device is insufficient, and the like. Other problems are the annoying gluing or other means of fixing the sensors on the infant's body, high cost of sensors and devices.
The broad concept of an optical fiber to detect movement is disclosed in German Patent Number 39 28 635 A1 dated Aug. 26, 1989. There is no disclosure, however, of monitoring an illuminated optical fiber and initiating an alarm upon a stoppage of movement, and there is no disclosure of the use of optical fibers for medical purposes.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide apparatus and methods which overcome the aforementioned inadequacies of the prior art and to provide improvements over the art.
It is further object of the present invention to provide an improved methods and apparatus for monitoring the respiration of an infant comprising, in combination optical fiber means located adjacent to the body of the infant to be monitored; means to transilluminate the fiber means; and means to monitor the transmission or transillumination as a function of the movement of the infant and of the fiber means.
It is the main object of the present invention to reliably detect when an infant stops breathing.
It is a further object of the present invention to monitor the breathing patterns and/or provide a continuous statistic evaluation of said breathing patterns of the infant and to actuate an alarm upon the occurrence of breathing stoppage.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more prominent features and applications of the intended invention. Many other beneficial results can be obtained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner of modifying the invention within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention and the detailed description of the disclosed embodiments in addition to the spirit and scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.